When the Fairest One Falls
by sexypancake
Summary: The youngest is twelve, the fairest is fourteen, the smartest is sixteen, and the angriest is seventeen when they all band together. [No Pairing]


**When the Fairest One Falls**

**By sexypancake**

He is seven years old when they give him the arrow. They take him to the highest peak of the highest mountain that overlooks the temple. There, they touch his forehead, fingers lighter than air, and grace him with their final blessing.

It takes all day, until the sun has set beneath the horizon and the clouds have turned into dark ominous shadows in the sky.

The pain is sharp and un-ending in his skull for weeks after. The memory of thick wooden needles that pierced and picked at his flesh for hours on end is still fresh in his mind.

It is only then that he doesn't realize that things are about to change.

oOOoOOo

She is eight when her mother dies. The blurred images of a heart-shaped face surrounded by long brown hair is all she can remember. Sometimes, when she dreams, she almost images two sapphire eyes staring back at her with love.

But when she awakens, she cannot remember a thing. The frigid chill of the sky, neither night nor day, greets her. Her brother will roll over in his bedroll and her father's arm around her waist will tug her in further to his warm chest.

And sometimes when she looks into the sky, she can almost wish for a savior from this harsh and dieing existence.

oOOoOOo

He is nine when he first sees Azula cry. It is right after mother had left them all behind, gone on an adventure too far and too great for them to know about.

She is strong and fierce. Her noble brow, though so young, is already pronounced and wrought with the wrinkles of too much thought. Too much stress. Too much life.

He has never seen her cry again. That day will always be held in his memory for many years to come, for many reason too deep.

At the time, he wants her to stop. He feels love in his heart for her and wants to ease her pain.

He doesn't know that one day, she'll want to kill him. There'll never be a day when she'll never love him back.

oOOoOOo

He is ten when his father leaves. Life has gotten colder for everyone. When he was younger, he'd stolen his father's war paint and a boomerang. In secret he practices. Everyday, all by himself, he swings his arms and cuts his hands under the frozen sun which doesn't shine.

But when he approached his father's leaving vessel, he was turned away with kind words and an even softer smile. This hurts him more than the scars on his fingers which have long since healed.

He wants to grow out his hair, but once he cut it, the roots couldn't bring themselves to live under the blistering cold air.

He has submitted himself, life and body, to war.

oOOoOOo

The youngest is twelve, the fairest is fourteen, the smartest is sixteen, and the angriest is seventeen when they all band together.

When the Fire Nation falls, the fairest one dies. Her dreams will become reality as she travels to the world beyond and greets her long gotten mother.

The smartest one cries forever, lost in his misery at the side of the ocean.

The angriest one is no longer as fierce, for life and death are fickle things, even to those who don't deserve the latter. He will rule a peaceful nation full of warmth and fire and love.

And the youngest, most innocent of all at the age of twelve will disappear from the world, neither a myth nor a legend, but a boy with a smile like the sun and yet eyes of stone.

The four will never see each other again.

oOOoOOo

oOOoOOo

oOOoOOo

What was that all about OO…I dunno.

So how about "the Earth king" huh? I love watching everyone fight. It's so cool. But hell! Zuko is going through a transformation to become the "beautiful prince" he was always meant to be. I love Iroh. But that hella scared me when zuko looked into the mirror and saw himself as aang. Come on! How many of you (just like me) thought he was gonna see himself scarless!? Dude…the end of the episode was so evil….Azula… . scary

Thanks for reading. Lemme know what you though.

R/R


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